Amaranth Calories & Nutrition Calculator

Amaranth grain contains 13.56g protein per 100g dry — higher than white rice (6.6g) and wheat flour (10.3g), and close to quinoa's 14.1g per 100g (USDA FDC #168917). Among pseudo-cereals and grains, amaranth ranks near the top for protein concentration ^[1].

The protein quality also stands out. Amaranth has a higher lysine content than most cereal grains — approximately 0.75g lysine per 100g, compared to wheat's 0.35g and rice's 0.26g. Lysine is the limiting amino acid in most cereal proteins, so amaranth's elevated lysine level is a notable compositional difference ^[2].

After cooking, the protein dilutes to 3.8g per 100g due to water absorption. One cup of cooked amaranth (246g) provides 9.3g protein — comparable to one cup of cooked quinoa (8.1g) and substantially more than one cup of cooked white rice (4.3g). For food journal tracking, the cooked values are what matter for meal entries.

Amaranth is unusual among food plants because both its seeds (grain) and leaves are widely consumed. Nutritionally, they're vastly different: the grain has 371 kcal per 100g dry with 13.6g protein and 65.3g carbs, while the raw leaves have just 23 kcal per 100g with 2.5g protein and 4.0g carbs ^[1].

The mineral profiles also diverge. Amaranth grain is rich in magnesium (248mg/100g), phosphorus (557mg), and iron (7.6mg). The leaves are rich in calcium (215mg/100g), potassium (611mg), and vitamin A (146mcg RAE) — nutrients that are low or absent in the grain. Vitamin C is minimal in the grain (4.2mg) but substantial in the leaves (43.3mg).

For food journaling, these two parts of the same plant must be logged as completely separate foods. A recipe calling for 'amaranth' could mean grain (371 kcal/100g) or leaves (23 kcal/100g) — a 16x calorie difference. In Indian cuisine, 'rajgira' typically refers to the grain/flour, while 'chaulai saag' refers to the leaves.

Dry amaranth grain absorbs approximately 2.5x its weight in water during cooking, expanding from 371 kcal per 100g dry to 102 kcal per 100g cooked — a 3.6x calorie dilution. One cup of dry amaranth (193g, 716 kcal) produces approximately 2.5 cups cooked (about 615g, 627 kcal), with minor nutrient loss to cooking water ^[1].

This dilution ratio is greater than rice (365 kcal dry → 130 kcal cooked per 100g, 2.8x ratio) because amaranth absorbs relatively more water, producing a porridge-like consistency rather than distinct grains. The result is a cooked porridge that's slightly less calorie-dense per spoonful than cooked rice — making amaranth porridge a lower-calorie-density alternative despite having more calories per gram in the dry state.

For tracking accuracy, always specify whether you're measuring dry or cooked amaranth. Logging '100g amaranth' without context could mean 371 kcal (dry) or 102 kcal (cooked) — a 269-calorie difference that would substantially affect daily totals.

Amaranth grain contains 7.02g fat per 100g dry — substantially higher than white rice (0.6g), wheat (1.5g), oats (6.9g), and millet (4.2g). Only oats come close among commonly consumed grains. This fat content contributes about 17% of amaranth's total calories, compared to 2–5% for most other grains ^[3].

The fat composition includes approximately 2.0g polyunsaturated fat (mainly linoleic acid), 1.7g monounsaturated fat (oleic acid), and 1.5g saturated fat (palmitic acid). Amaranth oil also contains squalene — a triterpene compound found at unusually high concentrations (5–8% of total oil) compared to other plant sources. Squalene is also found in olive oil and shark liver oil.

For nutrition journaling, the 7g fat per 100g dry amaranth means that a cup of cooked amaranth (3.9g fat) contributes more fat than a cup of cooked rice (0.4g fat) or cooked quinoa (3.6g fat). This is modest in absolute terms but worth noting for anyone closely tracking fat macros.

All three are gluten-free pseudo-cereals, but their nutrient profiles differ meaningfully. Per 100g dry: amaranth has 13.6g protein, 7.6mg iron, and 6.7g fiber. Quinoa has 14.1g protein, 4.6mg iron, and 7.0g fiber. Buckwheat has 13.3g protein, 2.2mg iron, and 10.0g fiber ^[4].

Amaranth's standout nutrient is iron — at 7.6mg per 100g dry, it provides more than 1.5x quinoa's iron and 3.5x buckwheat's. Amaranth also leads in calcium (159mg vs. quinoa's 47mg and buckwheat's 18mg) and magnesium (248mg vs. 197mg and 231mg). Buckwheat leads in fiber, while quinoa and amaranth are similar in protein.

Calorie-wise, all three are comparable in the dry state (371 kcal for amaranth, 368 kcal for quinoa, 343 kcal for buckwheat) and after cooking (102 kcal vs. 120 kcal vs. 92 kcal per 100g). For food journaling, they're reasonably interchangeable calorically, but the iron and calcium differences may matter for anyone tracking those minerals.